Birds of a Feather
by Robin Maxwell
Summary: A sword hurled through the air,cutting the rope and letting the slave girl fall to the ground. Her face hit the dirt as she lay there...Hieixoc
1. Bad Omen?

"Birds of a Feather"

By: Robin Maxwell

Disclaimer: Do I look like I own anything? No, didn't think so. But just in case. I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or anything special, just the characters that you don't see in the show or manga and the plot. You got it? Okay!

Chapter one 

Bad Omen? 

Light gray eyes peered into crimson ones. They were filled with pain, lose, and hopelessness.

Did she expect death? Or want it?

They couldn't stop staring at one another, even after the rest of the group moved on, pulling her along.

Her chains dug into her pale skin as she was dragged away from the dark youkai. She wanted so badly to stay and just look at him. She didn't know why, but she felt as if there was something about him that she could relate to. What it was, she didn't know.

She turned her head back around, making her dark brown hair swing with it. No one else had seen him, and if they had, than everyone would have started to throw each other out of the way to try and save themselves. Even though they were all chained together, to prevent something like this from happening.

All of them were nothing but prisoners that became slaves. They were thieves, killers, and cold hearted bastards that would sell their own mothers for food. That is all that they were seen as, even though most of them weren't anything like that.

When the pack of slaves were gone, Hiei jumped down from the tree and stared after them.

Why didn't she give him away? She was the only one that had seen him, and yet she told no one that he was there. Why? He could have killed them all if he wanted to, and to tell the truth, he had been thinking about it when he first saw them approaching.

It had been awhile since blood had been on his sword. Too long. But that would all change soon.

But that girl. She just... stared at him, and he at her. The fist thing he noticed were her startling gray eyes, and then the small visible scar that traveled from the top of her eyebrow to the tip of her eyelid.

Hiei pulled himself out of his thoughts as he remembered why he was even in Makai. He had to finish the assignment given to him by Koenma.

With that, he leapt off.

XXXXX

"Yoshi, Masa, Haru, and Nadia." The youkai in all dark blue garb said. The four slaves stepped up to the two spiked, wooden doors. They could hear the crowd outside cheering and screaming for blood.

The doors opened and the couples of four chained together slaves ran out into the small arena. Two tiger demons stood before them, one with a large ax, and the other with two swords.

The crowd was screaming even louder now.

'There's only two of them? This should be interesting.' The only girl in the arena thought.

Nadia ducked as the ax came swinging at her head, taking down the demon chained to her. She used her short sword, the only weapon they were given, and cut off his arm. Once she was rid of his body, she flopped down on her belly as the same demon swung his ax at her again.

She rolled around on the ground as the curved blade made impact with the sand covered ground. Her feet rested on the ground flatly as she stood up and faced the white fur covered youkai.

Her gray eyes stared into his own ice blue ones. His lips curled up into a smirk, showing off his fangs.

He charged at her without hesitation, bringing his ax down on her head. It hit thin air, and then the ground.

"Where'd she go?"

He heard someone sighing behind him. He turned around just as she shoved the short bladed sword into his stomach. Blood poured out from the wound as it began to trickle from the corners of his mouth.

"Ah... grr...," He growled as he dropped his weapon and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer to him. The sword went in deeper as he opened his mouth.

A small string of fire started to push its way up his throat and into his mouth, where it grew into a large ball.

The girl in his arms closed her eyes, trying to figure a way out of this. Only one thing came to mind, but she didn't want to use it. There had to be another way out of this. She tried to find a way out of his grasp desperately, but to no prevail.

He laughed as she struggled in his arms. The ball now had small wisps of fire flying from it and scorching her face. Her eyes opened just as she saw the other tiger demon's headless form being thrown at her and the youkai that was currently squeezing her to death.

They both went tumbling down to the ground, the fire ball grazing her shoulder. She freed herself from the demon's arms and raised her hand into the air, her nails elongating and then plunging deep into his chest. The rest of her hand followed as it wrapped around his life force and squeezed it until it burst.

His screams died down as she pulled half of her arm out of his chest and stood to her full height. The only slave left walked over to her and rubbed her head with his hand.

"Watch your ass next time. I won't always be here to do it for ya." He said in a playful voice.

She kept her gaze on the fallen demon and didn't even react to his words. When she didn't say anything as usual, he patted her on the back and walked off. The audience's cheers had grown by tenfold, yet she didn't hear them.

'He saved me. Again.' She thought angrily.

She turned around and walked out of the arena that was covered in blood, a few dead bodies, and broken weapons. She held her head down.

XXXXX

As they walked back to their quarters a few miles away, she searched the trees, looking for her mysterious demon.

She didn't find him.

XXXXX

"Nadia." A raspy voice called out.

The brunette turned around to see her master standing before her, looking very pissed.

"I bought you for a reason, you know? So, tell me. What good are you if you don't use your full powers?" He asked her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

She just stared at him. Her eyes burning with hatred. She didn't have to explain herself to him.

She turned around and walked away from him.

"How dare you turn your back on me!" He yelled.

"40 lashes!" She heard him holler, as a group of guards surrounded her. She didn't even fight back as they grabbed her and took her to the beam, where they tied her hands up above her. The back of her already torn tunic was slashed open, revealing her back. Two, long vertical scars ran down her shoulder blades that were identical.

"Put the ring back on her." He shouted.

Two guards came and clasped a thick, metal ring around her ribs, just below her breasts. She growled at them as they accidentally touched her in a place that shouldn't be touched, by anyone.

"Bring out the whip."

One of the guards brought it out and stood behind her, smirking sickly.

"I'm going to enjoy this." The guard that had touched her while putting the ring on whispered into her ear. He pulled back and looked straight at her, his face a few inches from her own.

She spit on his face.

"Bitch." He screamed into her face as he slapped her.

She didn't even flinch.

He moved away from her and the man who owned her signaled the guard with the whip to begin.

'Fools. It's not like I'd use them anyway.' She thought to herself as the whip cracked down on her back.

She bit down on her bottom lip as it came down on her back again, and again.

"I can't hear her screams." Her master said.

The guard nodded in understanding. He brought it down harder, making the lashes on her back deeper.

XXXXX

The guard dropped the bloodied cat of nine tails(1) onto the table, looking angry. He looked back over at the girl that was hanging limply from the ropes and grunted as he walked off. She had not screamed through the whole punishment, even when they switched the whip out. Then, she had passed out.

A sword hurled through the air, cutting the rope and letting the slave girl fall to the ground. Her face hit the dirt as she lay there pathetically.

Two, rough hands grabbed her wrists and dragged her through the dirt to her cell. They threw her in the empty room and shut the barred door on her, laughing at her stubbornness.

"Maybe we'll come and visit you tonight. Would you like that?" One of them asked.

She just lay there, not paying them any attention as they walked away, still talking about her. She crawled onto her hands and knees and tried to sit up, but it hurt her back too much. She stopped moving when she noticed that the thin material of her shirt was about to come off of her completely.

Something was thrown in front of her from the cell next to hers. It was a shirt. She looked up and saw who had given it to her.

"Thought you could use it." He said. A hint of pity in his voice.

She grabbed the shirt and turned around on her butt and slipped the torn and bloody shirt off of her. She faced the wall, since she was in the last cell, and put the new shirt over her bloodied and torn flesh.

She sucked in her breath as the fabric stuck to her back.

"You know, you should just do what he says. It would make things a lot easier for you." The man who had decided to act as her older brother said.

She didn't say anything.

Sigh.

"I know you're not much of a talker, but you could at least say thanks or shut the hell up. Something like that." He stared at her hopelessly through the bars that he was leaning against. When she didn't say anything, he sighed again and turned away from her.

"Thanks, Akashi." A small, quiet voice said.

The man blinked.

"Your welcome, Nadia." He said with a smile gracing his lips.

XXXXX

The stolen scroll was thrown onto his desk, sending a few papers fluttering to the ground. Koenma grabbed the rolled up parchment quickly and opened it, his eyes scanning its contents.

A smile fell onto his lips, that was a mixture of relief and happiness as he rolled the paper back up.

"Good job, Hiei."

"Hn."

Koenma looked at him, the smile fading.

"What happened to the demon?"

"Dead." The Goth answered.

Koenma called in Botan and had her place the scroll back into the vault.

"Thank you, Hiei. You may go now."

A black blur disappeared out the door, leaving Koenma alone.

The toddler rubbed his butt in memory.

"I don't think I could have handled that again."

XXXXX

A few days later, and the whole gang was shut up in Koenma's office. Kuwabara and Yusuke sat down in front of the toddler, looking bored. The orange haired ningen had started twirling a piece of thread in between his fingers as the detective beside him sighed loudly in frustration.

"Any time today, would be nice Jr.," He said to the toddler that was standing haphazardly on a chair trying to find a folder in one of the top file cabinets.

"Shut it, Yusuke." He said as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

'Arrogant little-,' He thought, but cut himself off as he found what he was looking for.

"Ah ha. Found you, you little devil!"

As he closed the drawer, he lost his balance and fell to the ground. A few files on top of the cabinet fell on top of him, sending papers everywhere.

"Don't _everyone_ get up all at once!" The toddler said through gritted teeth as he stood up and placed the folder on his desk, glaring at everyone in the room.

Kurama paled as he rubbed his neck nervously.

"Sorry about that Koenma, I was talking to Hiei."

Kuwabara, who was, let's face it, as dumb as shit, didn't know what he was talking about.

"I didn't hear you guys talking."

"Hn. Fool."

Kuwabara looked behind him and started shouting insults at him, as Kurama tried to calm him down.

"We were communicating telepathically, Kuwabara." He said in a nervous tone, once again.

In the blink of an eye, Kuwabara was face down into the carpet, and Hiei was leaning against the wall as if he hadn't moved at all.

"HIEI, YOU BASTARD!" None other than Kuwabara shouted.

"Hn."

Yusuke still stared at the celling, unaffected by any of the things going on in the room.

"So, what are we doing this time?" He asked, his head still back and looking up.

"Well, if everyone would calm down, than maybe I'll explain it to you." Kuwabara was still muttering under his breath, but Koenma ignored him, like he always did.

"There's a demon named Shizuma in Makai that is a slave owner. His slaves fight in tournaments like the one you all fought in, except it's simply for pleasure and money with no humans. It's perfectly legal, except for the fact that a few humans have been disappearing from ningekai and into Makai. We believe that he has been using them as slaves to fight in these tournaments."

"Why would he want a bunch of puny humans to fight for him when he's got all those strong demons?"

Koenma looked at the only full-blooded human in the room and smirked, which you couldn't see because of his pacifier.

"He can bet against himself if he chooses to, and have the weakest slaves out there fighting for him. He chooses them because he knows that they will lose, and he'll get money. It's as simple as that."

"Oh." Kuwabara stated dumbly.

"So, what do you want us to do about it?"

"I want all of you to go to Makai and see if what our sources tell us is true. One of you will pose as the master, and the rest of you his slaves." (you know that didn't sound right!)

"You don't have to stay for long, just until you find out if that's where all of the humans are disappearing to."

"Whoa! I don't want to be a slave." Kuwabara shouted. Yusuke thought the same thing, and was about to voice his opinion when Koenma began speaking again.

"No one will buy that you are a slave owner, Kuwabara. I think it should be kurama."

So, it was decided. Shouldn't this be fun!

XXXXX

"Stupid Koenma, making us slaves! I'm gonna sock him one in the nose next time I see 'em!" Kuwabara said as they walked through the brush of Makai.

"Shut up already!" Yusuke hollered at him.

For once Kuwabara was quiet, though no one knew why. That was until they walked by the entrance of the village where the arena was. Three decaying bodies lay on display at the open mouth of the large, wooden doors.

Bad omen?

"They give me the creeps!" (anyone wanna take a guess at who said this! Anyone? Yeah, u got it. Kuwabara!)

"They're dead, Kuwabara. Calm down." Kurama said.

The boy shivered as he stared at their hollow eye sockets. A worm crawled out of one of them, making the big oaf shriek like a little girl.

"Baka." The shortest one of the group muttered.

XXXXX

After being registered for the small tournament tomorrow, all four of them went to the slave quarters where they would be staying for the next few nights. While the three "slaves" went to their new cells, Kurama went to the inn that was there especially for slave owners that betted in the tournament.

Yusuke and the others were placed in cells with one other slave since they were out of cells.

Kuwabara was thrown into a cell with a tall, muscly guy that had a horn on his forehead. When he stood up, he towered over the ningen by a good two feet.

"Who are you?" His deep voice rumbled out his chest.

"I'm Kuwabara." He stated simply, not at all affected by his size.

"And you are?"

"Rikuo."

The tall demon stepped closer to him and looked down at him, his eyes a brighter green than Kurama's.

"It gets quite lonely in here at night, my little friend." He said darkly. (hint hint)

"Oh shit!" Kuwabara yelled as he turned around and yelled for someone to place him in another cell through the bars. The guards only laughed at him. (he actually got something! I'm being mean, I'm gonna stop now.)

'Why did I have to end up with the gay one!' He thought desperately.

Yusuke didn't even have to talk to his new bunk mate, considering that the guy was passed out drunk.

'Nice. Always good to have a place remind me of home.' He thought as he scooted down the wall and nodded off to sleep.

Hiei walked into the moon lite cell and peered around, not seeing anyone until they opened their eyes. They were an eerie silver, and he couldn't help but stare into them. They reminded him of something... or someone.

They didn't move, nor talk. Their eyes closed shut, not even curious as to know who was in there with them. Oh well, it didn't bother him in the least to have a silent room mate. And he was tired too.

He fell asleep soon, his guard never dropping.

XXXXX

The sun light stung his eyes irritably as it burned down on his face. An arm was thrown over their face, but it did little use as the sun still beat down on his skin. It was hot!

"Dammit!" He swore loudly as he sat up and looked around tiredly. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out where in the hell he was.

'Huh? Oh yeah, the stupid mission the toddler send us on.'

He yawned widely as he stretched and then stood up. That's when he noticed a pungent smell coming from behind him. He turned back around and looked at the demon that was lying face down in the dirt, not moving.

Yusuke took a few steps over to him and tapped him lightly with his foot. Nothing. He didn't it again, and still no response.

He turned the guy over onto his back and saw a bug crawl out of his mouth.

"Yuk!" He said in disgust as he fell backwards onto his ass.

"Do the dead scare ya, kid?" A guard that had snuck up on him asked. Yusuke looked behind him and saw the demon in a dark blue outfit similar to Hiei's.

"You better get use to it, unless you want to end up like that guy over there." He said with a laugh. He started to walk away with Yusuke yelling after him. He stopped.

"You want him out of there?"

Yusuke growled.

"I think I'll wait until it's time for you to fight before I get someone to drag him out of there."

With another laugh, he walked off.

"Bastard." Yusuke mumbled.

XXXXX

Hiei's morning was probably the best out of the three of them, considering his cell mate wasn't dead, or a flaming homosexual! (i love that phrase. And no, i ain't got nothing against gay people, just remember that!)

When he was greeted by the rising sun he opened his eyes and peeked over at the demon he was sharing his cell with. Well, technically it was their cell, and they were sharing it with "him."

His eyes widened slightly, yet unnoticeably at the same time, as he stared at the defeated looking creature before him.

It was the same girl that he had seen the other day when he passed through Makai. (who didn't know that?)

Since she was asleep, he could look at her more carefully and not get caught, by her at least.

He stared at the scar more closely now and noticed that it started a bit higher than the top of her eyebrow and covered about half of her eye lid. He also noticed the way she was leaning against the wall, huddled up in the corner and leaning over. Her head lay on top of her knees with her arms hanging lazily by her side. She looked as if she was trying not to put pressure on her back.

That's when he felt someone's eyes on him.

"She's not much of a talker, but a hell of a fighter. She may not look it, but she's a lot tougher than she lets on." The guy in the cell next to him said.

Hiei looked up at him.

"Hn."

The demon laughed.

"I see you aren't much of one either. I guess you two will get along well, then."

Hiei said nothing to this statement. He was surprised that the girl hadn't woken up during his chatter. The brotherly demon noticed his stare on the girl.

"She just doesn't like to listen. She'll probably be out for another hour or so, knowing her."

Hiei looked at him questionably after he said this.

"Don't hurt her, and I won't have to hurt you." He stated as he stared Hiei in the eye.

Hiei's own eyes bore into him, not letting up. Guessing that the overly protective male was either her mate or something, he didn't take too much offense at his words. But he wouldn't take it as a threat. The demon slumped against the wall close to him seemed more of a threat than he did.

The door to his cell opened and he was greeted by two guards in dark blue cloaks similar to his own.

"Get up, wench!" One of them yelled as they entered the cell. He didn't even look at Hiei. The girl in questioning popped one eye open and then closed it again.

"Didn't have enough of me the other day, did you?" The guard asked.

"Nadia, please get up." Akashi said.

"Stay out of this!" The other guard yelled into his face.

Nadia opened both of her eyes this time and stood up. She didn't even look at the guards as she passed them. Hiei now understood why she hadn't had her back on the wall. It was covered in bloody welts. The back of her shirt was covered in small trails of blood.

"You too, boy." One of the guards directed at him. Hiei moved, only to get away from these goons. They disgusted him.

They weren't the only ones being emptied out of their cells. The day had started, and people were crowding into the arena, ready for a bloody battle.

XXXXX

So, what do you think? People sayI need to work on how long my chapters are, so I hope this is long enough for you guys!If not, than screw that!Please review, if you want me to add another chapter to this!

Later,

robin


	2. Small Talk Between Birds

Chapter two

Small Talk Between Birds

Hiei was chained to the unworldly creature at his side, and was shoved towards the front of the line. He held back a growl, but didn't hesitate to send death glares to all the guards.

It wasn't the first time that he had heard a crowd roaring and screaming for death, and it all seemed too good to be true. Now he could kill without a second thought of being sent to prison in the spirit world.

A smirk crossed his features as the doors opened from the outside.

Nadia ducked as a malice came swinging at her head. As the demon at her side ran out into the arena, she followed him without hesitation. Plus, they were chained together.

Kurama watched his fellow team mates from the stands, wishing that they didn't have to do this. So far, he hadn't noticed any humans in the arena or in the slave quarters.

So, where were they?

He averted his eyes to his left and stared at the elderly slave owner beside him. The one who supposedly had humans at his disposal. The aging demon had gray hair and bushy eyebrows. His right arm sleeve was pinned to his shoulder, since half his arm was missing.

He sure didn't seem like much. But appearances can be misleading.

Kurama turned away from him and looked back towards the match.

Nadia and Hiei had been driven back, forcing them to fight back to back. Things would have been so much easier if they weren't chained together, and if there weren't three times as many enemies in the arena with them.

Yusuke and another demon had also been put into the arena, but other than that, the other ones were dead, and Kuwabara was nowhere to be seen.

The sword went through the fox demon's stomach, and came out on the other side. The fox fell to his knees, where the fire youkai finished him off by taking off his head.

Hiei lost his balance as he was violently pulled back by his left hand, where a metal manacle dug into his wrist. He went flying back, as well as Nadia. They landed in the soft sand a few feet away.

He looked up as the monstrous demon towered over them with a large sword that was twice the size of Kuwabara. The sword came down, and Hiei kicked the girl to the side as he rolled in the other direction.

The chain clashed with the sword, which met no resistance as the chain broke. Hiei blurred away and reappeared behind the youkai's head. The short sword slashed through his thick neck as Hiei cut through it.

Nadia looked up just as the demon's head rolled onto the ground and stopped at her feet. It was twice the size of her, and his eyes were still blinking.

She turned away.

When she stood up, she saw the black clad demon staring at her. She knew he was the same one she had seen in the woods the other day, but she still couldn't believe that he was really there, right in front of her eyes. It all seemed more like a dream. One of those torturous dreams.

He turned away from her and looked out onto the field, that had only two other people standing on it. And one of them was seriously hurt.

The prisoner came closer to Hiei and her, one holding onto the other as he limped. It was Yusuke and Akashi.

"Akashi." The girl whispered quietly. Hiei was the only one that heard her.

"He needs help." Yusuke said.

Nadia grew a grim look on her face.

"Where do I take him?"

Hiei just stood there as Nadia continued to stare at them both, more so at Akashi.

"They won't help him." She said in a small, but clear voice.

"What?"

The gates close by opened again, and a few guards came out and re-chained Hiei and Nadia, not even glancing at the wounded demon. Nadia stared at nothing the entire time they were led back to their quarters, and placed back into their cells, where her and Hiei were finally unchained from each other.

Kurama watched all of this before getting up and going to his room.

Akashi was placed into his cell, with no one to help him clean his wound or anything. They were just going to let him die.

Nadia sat down in the corner and stared at him through the bars. She watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath. She was going to watch him die.

That's all she could do.

XXXXX

Nadia had stayed in the same place for over three hours, just staring at the demon on the other side of the black bars. His chest barely moved now, and she could see him struggling to keep his eyes opened.

The man with long red hair walked along the sand in an unhurried manner, his hands holding something in between them. No one stopped him as he made his way towards the cells, seeing as all the guards were busy getting drunk off their asses.

The first thing he saw were a pair of glowing red eyes and then the outline of the deadly creature before him. The black, rusty bars the only thing in between them.

"Took you long enough, fox."

"Be nice, Hiei."

Kurama moved from in front of his cell to the one next to it. He slipped a seed into the key hole and waited as it grew and broke the lock.(sounds gay, get over it!)

He slipped into the dark cell and dropped to his knees beside the bleeding demon.

Nadia hadn't stood up or moved during the whole process, even when Kurama placed some kind of plant over his wound, and then wrapped it. She just watched him quietly.

When he got up to leave, she stood up and walked towards the bars, where Hiei stood. Kurama stood in front of her as she looked up at him.

"Thank you."

A smile lit up the fox's face.

"You're welcome."

Hiei went back to one of the corners in the cell and leaned against it, his arms crossed over his chest.

Nadia had moved back into her normal spot, but her eyes didn't close. They were kept on Akashi the entire time.

Neither slept that night.

XXXXX

"You know, I never get tired of doing this." The guard yelled as he cracked the whip down onto the scarred flesh.

Blood dripped down the girl's lips as she bit down on her lip, trying to hold back the screams. It was working so far. Soon, they would give up. They always did, she thought.

XXXXX

Two hours later, and she was thrown back into her cell, sporting new cuts and soon to be scars. At first, she didn't move. She just lay there on her stomach, staring at the wall to the right.

She sighed in her mind, seeing as how she was going to have to compete tomorrow. If she was a full bloodied demon, than she could have been almost completely healed by the next day. But no, she had to wait three days before everything was completely closed up.

She tried to sit up, but laid back down quickly as her shirt fell below her shoulders.

'Shit! Now what am I going to do? Just lie here until the guards pick me up? Hell no!'

As she tried to come up with a plan, she completely forgot about the other person in the cell. One that was currently going through her thoughts.

He found her plans amusing in the least, until she went over the whole problem in her head. The whole reason she had been whipped.

_/"Shall I help you?" _

_Nadia turned around and looked up at the guard that had whispered in her ear a few days ago before she had been whipped. _

_She hid her naked body behind the torn cloak they were using as a curtain for the showers. They were outside, surrounded by other guards and slaves. All of which who wouldn't help her. _

_She said nothing as he walked towards her and tried to pull her out from behind the curtain. She struggled with him, tearing down the curtain in the process, and wrapping it around her body. Before he could lay a hand on her she grabbed his knife and cut him across the face. He screamed. She ran past him and grabbed her clothes before he could try and have his way with her._

_She ran as she put her clothes back on. Just as she was about to round a corner and be free of the damn place, a group of guards surrounded her. She was trapped./_

So, that's how it had happened, and she had kept her dignity throughout the whole process. The only reason she had been given that punishment, besides for the made up one about her trying to run away.

She had only been trying to get away from a man that wished to take her against her will. Her only crime.

Before she could come up with some kind of plan, she felt a warm garment fall over her back. She could see part of the black cloth hanging over her shoulder, and she didn't hesitate to wrap it around her fully.( i know, it's kind of out of character, but whatever) Even though her back stung and protested weakly.

She stood up and stared at Hiei, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. He was always in that position, or sitting down with his arms crossed over his chest!

"Thank you." She said hesitatingly.

Since when was he nice?

"Hn."

Nadia sighed out loud this time, not worrying about her dark little friend in the corner. For he didn't say anything anyway, nor did Akashi, since he was at the training ring at the moment.

She turned around and walked towards the wall that she always leaned on. Except for times like now, when she just sat against it slightly, trying to keep her back off of it as much as possible.

So, she sat with her butt against the wall, and her upper body leaning over her drawn up legs. Her dark brown hair fell out of it's bun and onto her shoulders.

She swore to herself.

"How did you get here?" She asked him curiously, as she tried to put her hair back up.

She hardly ever spoke, because she found no one of interest here, besides Akashi. But he rarely talked to her as well, only when she got in trouble. So, she really only talked when she wanted to, which wasn't very often. But now she felt herself compelled to talk to this stranger that crossed paths with her life.

"Hn."

"The silent type, huh?"

He opened one eye and peered at her through it before closing it again.

"Unlike you." He retorted.

She didn't find that offensive in the least, since she knew it wasn't true. She had been her half her life, and she never talked. Until Akashi came in. He had somehow dug a hole in her heart and lodged himself in there, even though she wouldn't let other people see that. She cared for him, but tried not to show it, afraid of the effects it might have. She didn't want to lose anyone else that she cared for.

But this guy was different. She noticed it the first time she had seen him, the reason she had stared at him so noticeably. He could take care of himself, that she knew, but he seemed like the type that only cared deeply about maybe two or three things. Like there was no other room in his heart for anything else.

Someone like her.

She didn't care to live, but she wouldn't let herself be defiled by a bunch of greedy bastards. No, she'd rather die at the hands of someone like him. Who wouldn't care, but at the same time respect her or rather himself enough to not do something as low as raping her dead body. Not many here could do that.

"No." Said she, after a good while.

Hiei had opened his eyes and looked at her, as she continued to stare at the sand at her feet. A small smile crossed her lips, one that stayed with her.

'Why is she smiling?'

"Hn."

Her smile only grew.

"I guess I won't get you to talk."

She had stopped trying to get her hair back up after it fell after her third attempt. Instead, she had her hands under his cloak, and trying to do something. Hiei only stared at her as she stood up slowly and walked towards him. Her hands pulled off the cloak and handed it back to him.

"Thanks, again."

She had turned her shirt around so that the cut in the middle was now showing her stomach. She had tied the loose strips of it at the top so her breasts wouldn't be exposed, but her navel was exposed slightly.

He just nodded his head as he looked away from her briefly, as she returned to her spot on the wall.

After her smile had faded, she nodded off to sleep, his gaze on her the whole time.

He just didn't understand her. At all.

She was beaten almost daily, nearly raped, and a slave, yet she smiled as if she had never experienced these things. He was told that she was quiet and strong, yet he saw her as somewhat talkative and weak.

The only thing strong about her was her will. But how could that be, when she was worn and torn every day from fighting, beatings, and loneliness? She was just an interesting creature, unimaginable at times.

But then again, he was too at times.

XXXXX

So, tell me what you think. OK, love you guys and thanks for the reviews I received last time.

Love,

robin


	3. Last Day With You

Chapter three

Last Day With You

Kurama looked over at the two slave owners that seemed to be discussing the selling of a few slaves, and trading of a few others. The taller of the two had just arrived earlier that day for some sport to watch, and play in. At least, with his own prisoners. The man he was currently discussing business with was none other than Shizuma, the slave owner they were sent to watch out for.

He turned away from the two men and stared down at the arena. Today was the last day that they were having the tournament. After today, it would be just regular games, but not as nearly as exciting and crowded as it had been.

He was both relieved and frustrated. He was glad that they would be leaving and that his comrades wouldn't have to fight anymore, but they hadn't found out anything about the missing ningens yet.

Koenma was not going to be happy.

XXXXX

"Looks like you've got a new friend to take care of you." Akashi said as he elbowed the girl in her side, making her glare at him.

Nadia looked over at the "new friend" he was talking about and held back a laugh. She didn't consider him a friend, not in the least. I mean, come on, it's Hiei. The one who held only a few things close to his heart, and she sure wasn't one of them.

The only reason he bothered protecting her, if that's what you could call it, was because she was his partner in the arena. Even though he didn't need one.

He had saved her life twice, and only because they were convenient for himself. She was just the extra weight on the other end of the chain.

"Iie."

He looked down at her strangely, lifting his orange eyebrow questionably.

"Whatever." He responded as he rested his arms behind his head and walked off in front of her.

She stared at the long, deep scars on his back as he retreated back towards his cell. She didn't know how he had gotten them, and she didn't want to ask him either. They might be just as personal as the ones on her back. The ones that weren't from whipping, which only a few people knew about.

As she and her "new friend" were placed back into their cell, she noticed her owner and another guy talking. When the barred door closed, she wrapped her hands around the bars and stared at them.

'Who is he?' She asked herself silently as she stared at the two approaching figures.

She went back to her usual corner, after she got bored and got into the same position as she always did, even though the slashes on her back didn't reopen during the tournament, thanks to Hiei.

'Only because he pushed me to get out of his way, or so he says. I think he enjoys pushing me around though, I saw him smirk right after he did it!'

The nearing men dragged their feet in the sand noisily as they walked towards them. When the sound stopped, an order was given.

"Stand up."

Nadia looked up at the two men standing in front of her cell, and disregarded them.

"Stand up." He repeated with agitation. She didn't move, just smirked.

"Go and get her!"

The cell door opened and a guard roughly brought her to her feet by her arm.

"Bring her out here."

The guard did as he said and dragged her out of her cell, not letting go of her arm. Hiei and Akashi just stared at them all, wondering what was going on.

"She is the only girl that I have." The elderly man said.

Nadia just stood there as the other man stared at her questionably. She didn't know why he kept looking her up and down, and really didn't want to know either. She just wanted to get back in her cell and go to sleep. She was tired.

She didn't even notice Akashi and Hiei giving the two men dark looks as she was escorted by the guard and two men up to a room at the inn.

XXXXX

"She'll do just fine." The demon circling her said after a few long moments of gazing at her backside.

"How much?"

Those words echoed around her as her eyes went wide, making her owner smirk at her reaction.

"I don't know. She was very expensive because of her... abilities."

No words were said for a few minutes as she just stood there, her muscles tensing up with unleashed anger.

"I doubt that. She's only a half-breed."

Her elderly owner laughed.

"Perhaps. But do you know what kind?" He asked with unconfined amusement.

"No."

"She's a..."

Nadia blocked out the rest of their conversation as she stared at the carpet on the floor. She was overly disgusted at what she was hearing. She had always hated being a slave, yes, but she had never been talked about this way. Even when she was bought from the slave trader so many years ago.

She knew what she was being sold for as well, which made matters so much worse. She wanted to kill both of the occupants in the room at that very moment.

"...fine. 10,000 Yen, take it or leave it."

"She's yours."

XXXXX

Akashi's eyes stayed on the last place he saw her disappear into the inn at, as well as Hiei's. They had not moved the entire time, not until she emerged from the inn with fresh chains wrapped around her arms, legs, and torso. She could barely walk.

Her tiny feet glided over the sand as she took small steps.

Her face was set in a scowl as she walked past the cells, every eye on her. They knew that she had been sold, and some even knew as what.

Amongst the ones who didn't know what she was sold as, were Akashi and Hiei.

"NADIA!" Akashi's voice yelled out.

She looked back over her shoulder, her steps coming to a stop. She stared at him with a look of pure hatred in her eyes. They stared at one another for a few moments before her new owner pulled on her chains.

In that moment, both Akashi and Hiei noticed two things.

One, the smirk on the man's lips. And two, the flash of cold blackness that filled her eyes completely.

She moved on, her chains rattling after her as they both disappeared from sight.

One of the guards laughed beside their cell, making both of them turn to look at him.

"She deserves it."

"And what does she deserve?" Akashi asked through clenched teeth.

The guard walked up to him and placed his face right in front of his, staring him straight into his royal blue eyes.

"To be used for sex." He said with amusement.

That's when it hit him. His Nadia, the only person he thought of as family, had been sold as a sex slave.

XXXXX

Have any of you ever had nutella? I know, random question, but I'm eating it right now, so I thought I might as well ask. It's soooo good! Anyway, hoped you all liked this, and I'll update as soon as I can, whenever I can figure out what's coming next! And **thanks** to everyone who reviews! You don't know how happy you make me! Later.

Robin


	4. Lilies on the Pond

chapter four

Lilies on the Pond

"To be used for sex." He said with amusement.

That's when it hit him. His Nadia, the only person he thought of as family, had been sold as a sex slave.

"Bastard." Akashi grumbled as he grabbed the guard by the neck and smashed his face into the bars.

The demon let out a pain filled yelp as he placed both his hands on the bars, trying not to get his face thrown into them again.

Three other guards rushed over to help their friend, and punish the slave. After they withdrew the shaking, bleeding demon from Akashi's grasp, they watched as the man walked back into his cell, glaring at all of them.

One guard dared to glare back at him with his dark, black eyes.

"Solitary confinement." He ordered as a few other men came and restrained him as they went to go place him in the dark, small box outside that the sun beat down on angrily.

XXXXX

Nadia walked into the room, her eyes downcast and covered by her long brown hair.

"Come now, let me see your pretty face." Her new owner, Haru said.

She didn't listen to him as she set the clothes out on his bed. Her new owner stood up and walked around the bed post, looking her up and down.

"Do you like to wear chains, my dear?"

Nadia had not looked at him yet, but when she did it was a glare that sent shivers down his spine. She looked up at the tall, and what some would call "handsome" creature before her. Every time she looked at him, she thought of something rotting. It wasn't his appearance that made her think of it, but his manner. Though she didn't know why.

His hair was short and spiky, white with red bangs hanging down in his face. His eyes were an unnaturally bright purple that made her think of the flowers that grew close by her cottage back in her old village.

She hadn't seen those flowers in ages, yet she remembered them clearly. As if she had seen them not even a day ago. Though, she saw them every night. In her dreams, the same dream, that started out light and pleasant, but turned out to be a re-occurring nightmare that she couldn't escape. She never could.

She was dragged out of her thoughts as a cold hand grabbed her chin and brought her eyes from the floor, and placed them right in front of amethyst ones. Nadia stared coldly into his eyes, a flash of black steel passing through her eyes briefly before he let go of her in fear.

Half demon or not, her kind was still one of the most dangerous demons in Makai. Though she never used the full extent of her powers, nor fought for a cause in which she saw the need to give it her best.

This wasn't one of those times.

"Don't touch me." She said in an emotionless voice.

For a moment she thought he wasn't going to say anything, but to her dismay, he was as arrogant as they come.

"I'll do with you as I please."

He grabbed both her wrists and shoved her onto the bed, straddling her in the process. As his lips met the hot skin of her neck, he felt something in her beat. Like a heart beat. But this... vibration went throughout her entire body, and was strong.

Without warning he was thrown back and hit the wall opposite that of the bed. He rubbed his head as he stood up and glared at her. She had already risen off the bed, her hand raised in front of her face.

"You insolent little-," He stopped himself as he looked into her eyes. They were completely black, and for once in his life, he knew when to shut up.

Her nails started to grow longer and longer until they were thin, sharp needles.

"Wait... please? We can talk about-," He was cut off as she waved her hand in his direction, sending the needles flying at him.

He screamed.

Two struck him in each arm, pinning him against the wall. The other two landed in the wall just to the sides of his head, and the last just below his groin. He sighed heavily as he looked down and saw the needle inches away from his pants.

He passed out.

Nadia's eyes turned back into their regular light gray at his scream, and her finger tips burned as new finger nails grew in. She hissed at the unexpected pain, and then looked over at the demon she nearly killed.

'W-what... just happened? What did I do?' She thought as she stared down at her hands. What had possessed her?

Recognition hit her, her eyes widening in shock.

'That... power? I haven't felt that... in a long time. How did it come out? I've suppressed it for so long? How-,' She was interrupted from her thoughts as she heard foot steps.

She ran towards Haru, her hand reaching out for the key that hung around his skinny neck when the door burst open. Guard after guard filed into the room. Soon, she was surrounded.

'Dammit!'

It took four guards to hold her back as the others tried to waken their master. It took a good few minutes, and a bucket of cold water. When he came into awareness, he started spewing out venomous words as the needles were pulled out of his arms. Not only towards the lone girl being held back, but also to the guard that had poured water on him, and of course the needles themselves.

After calling her many names, in which she glared at him for, he walked over to her and slapped her hard across the face.

"You'll pay for that with your life." He said in a low, dark voice filled with hate and embarrassment.

"Take her to the dungeons."

The demons nodded their heads and dragged her off to the dungeons at the bottom level of the castle. She didn't fight back, just let them lead her there. What did she care? At least she wasn't being touched by that filthy, spoiled brat.

Then again, the smelly guards holding onto her right now were no better.

She was finally thrown into one of the small, dank cells that smelled of rotting flesh. After a wink from one of the guards and a few laughs, she was left alone.

'Finally.' She thought as she tried not to gag from the smell.

She sighed inwardly and brought her knees up to her chest. She mentally cursed her new owner for the "uniform" he made her wear.

It was a simple garnet cotton dress, that was low cut in the front with a black corset over top. She would had loved it if it would have stayed like that, but no, there had to be two long slits up the sides that went straight to her thighs.

Horny bastard!

That's all she could think of to call him at the moment as she tried to hold the sides of the dress to her legs. It was a bit cold down there, and this stupid dress wasn't helping any.

'What will happen to me now?' She thought to herself sadly as she closed her eyes and let the coldness throw her into a disturbed sleep.

XXXXX

The toddler sighed loudly in frustration. Things were just not going his way. He rubbed his temples as he tired to come up with something.

Hiei stood in his usual corner, waiting for the meeting to end so he could go catch some sleep.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to keep a look out for things. We never knew which slave owner it was to be exact, but we do know that it was either Shizuma or someone who dealt with him."

Hiei's eyes opened at those words. He was not angry at them, knowing that what they had been doing all along was close to pointless, but that he may have an idea as to who the person was. And he'd let the bastard get away, along with that girl.

Without even reading Koenma's mind he knew what the baby's next words were going to be.

"Hiei, since you don't have responsibilities in ningekai like everyone else, I think it would be best if you kept a look out in Makai for awhile. Just until we figure out where these humans keep disappearing to."

"Hn." He answered as he walked out of the room. The others followed soon after.

XXXXX

First thing he was going to do was sleep. He had not had a good night's worth in awhile. Besides, it was day time and he worked better at night.

He rested his body on one of the highest branches in a tree, pleased that it offered a good bit of shade.

The ningens and the slave girl could wait, if they weren't already dead.

Soon, he was off to sleep.

XXXXX

_( Light green blades of grass tickled her feet as she pattered over to the small flower bed in the woods. She giggled to herself as she looked back over at her mother that hadn't noticed her disappearance. As she crept into the shade of the trees she saw the first sign of the flowers she was searching for. She stepped over the fallen tree log and smiled to herself at the small pond in front of her. Purple water lilies rested on top of the placid surface, that soon had ripples dancing across it as she placed her hand in the water._

_She sighed lightly as she turned over onto her back and closed her eyes, her hand still in the water. Everything was quiet and peaceful around her. _

_When the first bit of noise reached her ears, she thought nothing of it, thinking that it was a few kids from the village playing. But when she heard the pain filled scream break through her comfortable space, she bolted upright and stood. Looking back towards the village she saw a fire starting and could already smell the flames licking at the flesh of her neighbors. She took an instinctive step back at the fear that pulsed through her and fell right into the water. Her head slammed against something hard and slimy, sending her into an unsettling blackness... )_

Nadia sat up and fell over face first into the cold, stone floor. She cursed at herself quietly as she pulled herself up and sat on her knees.

Footsteps neared her, which had wakened her, not letting her finish her dream. Which she didn't mind. But she knew that those steps coming closer and closer couldn't mean anything good for her.

The footsteps came to a stop right in front of her cell, and she lifted her head up to see who it was.

A guard stood before her, grinning down at her. More steps sounded behind him as three more guards came, along with the master.

"It's time." Haru said to her cruelly as he smirked.

XXXXX

(_... but when they heard the pain filled scream breakthrough their comfortable space, they bolted upright and stood. Looking back towards the village they saw a fire starting and could already smell the flames licking at the flesh of their neighbors. They took an instinctive step back at the fear that pulsed through them and fell right into the water. Their head slammed against something hard and slimy, sending them into an unsettling blackness... )_

Garnet eyes opened, slightly glazed over as the moonlight beat down on them. Hiei looked around him, as if that dream came from close by. He knew it wasn't his, but someone else's. But who's?

He stopped pondering over it as he stood and took off. He could smell the girl close by, which would lead him straight to the demon who bought her.

XXXXX

"Had enough?"

Nadia looked up unashamed by what they were doing to her, and looked at the demon with dark red bangs hanging over his purple eyes.

She said nothing in response as the whip came down on the back of her legs again. Her arms twisted at her sides as she tried to break free, but the chains were unrelenting.

'I can't... move!'

Blood gurgled in her mouth as her chin hit the top of the table again as the whip lashed out at her naked body.

'I don't won't to stay here, but I don't want to use that power again. I will not let it take control-,' She was dragged out of her thoughts by his hate filled voice.

"That's enough. Cover her up, I don't want to see her disgusting body again."

The chains that held her hands and ankles down were removed and she was pulled off of the table. Her first instinct was to run away, get out of their hands, but her body wouldn't move. It wouldn't listen to her instructions.

There was no way out of this one.

A simple cotton white dress was slipped over her head. The sleeves fell past her hands, and the dress drooped to the floor, dragging after her as they carried her off.

XXXXX

Hiei could smell blood, lots of it. And he knew who's it was.

He landed in a tree in a small clearing that had a tower of logs held firmly in place with rope, along with scattered pieces of wood beneath it. When he heard the sound of foot steps approaching, he watched closely as a few demons came into the clearing, dragging someone with them.

The night was dark, but the first thing he noticed was the pair of silver eyes staring up at the moon as their body was tied to the logs.

"Any last words?" Haru asked.

She didn't reply.

She didn't move, or blink as he threw the lit torch down on the bundle of sticks. Her eyes stayed on the full, bright moon, wishing she could escape this death. But knew there was no chance of that, unless someone saved her.

The smoke filled her nose and mouth as it choked its way down her throat and into her lungs. Tears started to well up in her eyes as the smoke stung them. The heat from the fire made her sweat, as she held back a scream at the flames dancing up her dress, and caressing her legs with pain.

She looked down blindly at Haru, who was no where to be found. She couldn't see or smell anything but her own flesh burning.

The last thing she saw was a shadow fly past her before she passed out.

XXXXX

Hmm, i really have no idea where i want to take this, so any ideas are highly appreciated.

Love you all,

robin


	5. Black Seas

Chapter five

Black Seas

Dark, dazed blue eyes opened slowly, taking in the bright light. It stung his eyes irritably, making him close them again.

What day was it?

He couldn't even remember how long he had been in there, but he knew from the pain in his back that it had been awhile. They usually only put prisoners in here for about four days to a week, depending on their crime. His crime was punishable by death, but instead they decided to torture him. Maybe they would kill him later.

Dammit, when had he become so attached to Nadia? He had never loved her in anyway other than a sister, since his real sister died a few years back, before he became what he is today.

He really hadn't figured that out, but he knew that he had to get out of there as soon as possible and find her. Just as soon as he got his energy back. He was too weak to do anything now.

His eyes stayed closed this time as he fell into another restless sleep...

XXXXX

_( Dark, gray eyes opened slowly, taking in everything around them. Everything was dark and fuzzy, but off in the distance there was a strange bright light. Nadia pushed up with all her strength and sat up, not even bothering to check the back of her head. "Momma", She whispered as she stood up and swayed from side to side. Her entire body felt numb as the blood slowly started to pulse through her unused limbs, making them throb to life. She stepped and tripped towards the still blurry light. A warm gust of wind hit her face as she neared it, making her sweat slightly. Her hand brushed the last tree limb away, and she was welcomed with the vision of her village, on fire. Bodies and blood were strung out on the ground, mixed in with the dirt and dead, dried up leaves. Her feet carried her forward, not sure of what else to do, but not being able to just stand there anymore. She found herself calling out for her mother, with no response. No one else was alive. Everyone was dead, and her mother's body was no where to be found...)_

The girl woke with a start, sweat lingering down her forehead. Her breath was uneven and her eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

"Mother..." She whispered into the cool night air.

Hiei looked up at the now awake girl, who had just woken him from another dream that wasn't his. At least he knew why she was whispering for her mother.

"Nadia." He said quietly, almost cautiously, afraid that anything louder might make her break down into tears.

Her tear filled eyes shifted over to him and he saw that they were no longer gray or even silver, but completely black.

He shivered inwardly. Something about those eyes... they unnerved him.

Her body started to shake and she wrapped her arms around her chest, and started to cry. Hiei had no idea what to do.

Should he... tell her to stop? Slap her out of it... uh, no... maybe he was supposed to comfort her, whatever that meant. He didn't know how to comfort someone.

"Nadia." He said again, hoping that his voice would break through whatever wall had decided to block her from the real world.

The air around them seemed to change, grow heavier. Everything stayed the same, yet didn't. He could feel her energy level rise up slowly, and then spike up. It was powerful... but unlike anything he had ever felt in her before. It was... dark; something that had been buried deep inside her for a long time.

The fire in between them started to dance away from her as if a heavy wind were pushing it away. Hiei stared at her, unsure of what to do. He seemed almost frozen in place, like someone had taken a large needle and pinned his entire body down to the ground.

He couldn't move, at all.

A sudden gust of wind hit him in the face as something large and black flew out of her back. Two black feathered wings sprouted out, flapping slightly beside her. A few feathers danced through the air, one falling into his lap, waking him from his trance.

He picked it up and looked at her again, tears now streaming down her face. Her eyes started to slowly dull down to their normal color.

"No... no... don't look at me!" She began to whisper, but it grew into a shout as she hugged her chest, trying to comfort herself. Her wings formed a blanket around her, trying to protect her from the outside world.

Oh shit... women! What was he supposed to say? Or do? He couldn't just... sit there and do nothing, as much as he would like. That'd just make him look like a complete ass. Well, he was one, but not completely any way.

"Nadia... it's all right now. You're safe." He said in a chilly voice. Wasn't he supposed to say that a little... nicer? Hey, he was trying! Dammit, why couldn't the fox be here right now, so he could go to sleep and not have to listen to this... woman cry her eyes out!

He hesitantly reached over and touched one of her wings, not sure of what else he could do. He just wanted to shut her up so he could go back to sleep! The action had a different response.

Hiei was suddenly thrown back. His back hit a tree before he finally fell on his ass, where he just sat and stared at her. Her wings were now spread outwards and quivering as her body shook with some kind of force he had never seen in her before. Her body was lifted off the ground by her wings, and began to flap.

She was flying away!

He was about to stop her when he thought it over. Maybe it would be good if she left... then he could go to sleep and not have to worry about her. She was fine now, she was free and not hurt, too seriously. She'd probably have scars on her legs now, but that's all.

For those reasons, and maybe the fact that he didn't know what to do with her, he didn't go after her. He just let her go.

Black feathers fell and graced the ground as she flew away, as if she were fleeing from the devil himself.

XXXXX

The winged creature flew through the air, creating tunnels in the light blue and silvery clouds. Wings danced gracefully as they were finally free, making more feathers fall. But more kept on growing back.

"Mother..." Nadia whispered.

She was going to find her, no matter what.

XXXXX

"Uh... thank you, Hiei." Koenma said as he looked down at the demon's head on his desk.

"Hn."

He moved back to his normal corner of the room.

"Well... uh, were there any ningens there?"

"No." Hiei answered. There had been none there at the time, but he could still smell them in the old, empty quarters the demon lord had.

Sigh.

"Then how did you know he was the one who was selling them?" He asked, indicating the bloody head on his desk.

"It smelled."

Koenma sighed again, he knew that that was all he would get out of the dark koorime. Closing his eyes, he tried to come up with a plan on what in the hell he was going to do! If the humans had been there at one time, then where in the hell were they now! And more importantly, how was he going to find them?

"So, the humans were there, but they're not there anymore?"

Hiei nodded his head.

Sigh.

"You know I can't just leave it at that. This whole mission was made to get them back, and instead you bring me a head. And it's not even a human's."

He rubbed slow circles on his temples, trying to keep his cool.

"You're going to have to go back and find them. I'll send in the rest of the team as well. They'll meet you there at...," He stopped talking to think about where they could meet.

"... at I guess the village you four were at a few days ago."

He contacted Botan and had her fetch the others, while Hiei left to go on ahead.

XXXXX

The next day, the door creaked open and the sun blinded him momentarily before he was roughly pulled out.

"You're lucky that the boss likes you, or else you'd be dead, kid." One of the guards that were dragging him said.

He was thrown into his cell and the door slammed behind him.

"It's only because you're a good fighter, otherwise I'd be having myself a good time nailing you to a cross right about now." The other one said with a laugh, his dark green eyes sparkling with amusement.

The guard he had attacked was no where to be found, for his sake. He had no energy for a beating right now.

Akashi slumped down against the wall, his head turning out of custom towards the cell next to him. It was empty.

"Nadia..."

XXXXX

The darkness that settled over the small village that night was comforting and cheerful, as the demons there held a small festival. The fires in the town square, used for hangings and public beheading, was tall and roaring as drunks threw half drunken bottles of liquor into it.

The guards were of no exemption to this fun, as they abandoned their posts for a pint of beer and half naked youkai females.

Akashi was left alone and unsupervised in his cell, as were the others. A few were jealous, others were trying to find a way out, and some were just plain annoyed, like Akashi, who wanted to sleep.

As he sat there in the dark stillness, with the warmth from the fire in town not touching him, he gazed longingly at the outside of his cell door. Oh how he wanted to get out of there and be reunited with his little Nadia. He would give anything to get out of there, and be free. But no, he was stuck there, with little to no energy.

'Damn guards.' He thought bitterly as he closed his eyes.

The laughter and the sound of glass breaking were the only things that could be heard from a distance. But... then he heard something close by, a sort of swooping sound, like the flap of a bird's wings.

He opened his eyes to see a dark figure swoop down and land in front of his cell. Two dark wings resting on their back as they straightened up and walked towards him.

A pair of silver eyes stared down at him.

"Nadia?"

She didn't say anything as she jammed one of the keys on a large metal ring into the lock. It didn't work. She tried the next and then the next, until finally, the last key opened the door. She rushed in and helped Akashi up, draping one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Where did you get those from?" He asked curiously.

"Off of a drunk, passed out guard."

Silence.

"You ready?" She asked. He shook his head, not really knowing why she was asking him that.

But he soon realized what she meant by it as she grabbed him from underneath his arms and hoisted him into the air, flying off into the star filled sky.

Oh shit, he hated heights!

XXXXX

Sry for the lateness, but I really have no desire or inspiration as of lately. So, sry if the chapters seem to suck, but I got nothing! Anyway, thanks for the reviews and have a good night... or day, whatever!

later,

rob


	6. Bloodline

OKAY, MY VERY GOOD FRIEND, JEREMY, HELPED ME OUT AND HE OPENED THE DAMN DISKS, SO EVERYONE THANK JEREMY! YAH! SO, THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU, MY FRIEND. that sounds kind of corny... but whatever!

Chapter six

Bloodline  
  
"You know, I've known you for almost three years now, and yet you've never really told me anything besides your name. Why is that?"

The girl raised her head, her gray eyes staring into his royal blue ones.

"There's not much to say." She said in monotone voice.

"I doubt that."

A few minutes of silence followed his last words as she just sat there and stared at him.

"The same could be said for you."

He blinked. He hadn't really expected her to say much of anything. She hardly ever spoke to anyone, until a couple of weeks ago. Until He came around. Whoever that guy was anyway.

Why did she feel like she could talk to a complete stranger, but not to him? He had known her for a while now, had practically taken her in as a little sister, and yet she almost refused to speak more than a whole sentence when she was with him. Why?

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her. Well, it was worth a shot.

"So, you want to know about me, eh? Well then, ask away." He told her, a smile on his face.

Nadia just stared at him for a few minutes, her hands resting on her knees with her back pressed up against the base of a tree. She tilted her head to the side.

"How did you become a slave?"

"I use to be a prisoner." 

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"That doesn't explain much."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe you're not asking the right questions."

Glare.

"Fine. How did you become a prisoner?"

A dark look came over his face as he sunk his head lower. He stared at nothing in particular on the ground.

"I destroyed my village…. and everyone in it." He didn't lift his eyes up to see what her reaction was.

"Why?" Was her only response to his statement. 

"… it was an accident." Akashi lifted his head up and looked at her, his eyes unusually dark. She couldn't place what the emotion was in them.

"I use to have a little sister. She would be about eighteen now."

'He killed his sister too!' Nadia thought to herself as she let her eyes fall to the ground.

"… Nadia, how'd you get that scar on your eyebrow?"

Nadia looked up and gazed into Akashi's eyes. He was right in front of her, a few inches from her face with his finger about to touch her scar.

"I… did it to myself."

His finger lightly traced over it, sending a shiver down her spine.

"What? Why would you do something like that?"

"Why would you kill your little sister?" She asked suddenly. She didn't mean for it to just come out like that, but she was beginning to regret helping him. Nadia suddenly didn't trust him anymore.

The question made him tumble back, his hand falling back to his side.

"B-but, I didn't…"

Nadia stared at him. She felt bad now for accusing him of doing something like that, especially since he sounded like he really cared for her.

"Akas-"

"It was the villagers… they used her as a sacrifice while I was gone… my family didn't even try to stop them. They just let those men take her away." He said slowly.

"When I came back, they told me what had happened. I-I lost it." He stopped for a moment, his eyes glazing over.

"She was the only person I really cared about there. She was my little sister, my little Nana. And they fed her to that dog lord like she was table scraps!"

"How could they do that to her?" He asked her, not really wanting an answer.

She didn't say anything.

"I killed them all. The men, women, and even the children. I-I don't know what came over me… I just did it." Akashi told her in a more calm voice.

Akashi felt something warm wrap around his hand and looked up to see Nadia smiling at him, her hand squeezing his lightly.

"I don't blame you. I'm sorry I said that about you."

Any doubts she had about him vanished. The thought of him killing innocent people in the name of revenge was hard to take, but she couldn't hold that against him since she had done the same.

"How about we get something to eat before it gets dark?" She said, her voice light and pleasant.

"Sure." 

They were both glad for the break.

XXXXX

"This is a waste of time. They're probably all dead by now. So, someone please tell me, what the hell are we doing here?" Yusuke asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

Kurama, being the only sane, reasonable one in the entire group had an answer for that.

"Because they're innocent humans who have no way of defending themselves here. Plus, Koenma thinks that they are still alive. So, we must look for them, and hopefully find them before it is too late."

Yusuke glowered at him.

"I didn't want an answer, smart ass."

Kurama chuckled.

"Um… where's shorty?" The orange haired ningen asked.

"He should already be here."

"Well, then where is he? I don't see him." Said Yusuke.

Kurama closed his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. He was starting to get annoyed. Of course, it didn't show.

"Hn. Cause you're an idiot."

Yusuke looked down, and to his surprise, there was Hiei.

"There you are, short shit! (A nickname I received last year) Now, can we please go so I can get home and eat?"

"Hn."

Hiei started walking in front of them, while Yusuke and Kuwabara were giggling in the back like the idiots they were.

(/telepathy/ if you haven't already figured that out)

/Hiei, haven't you figured out what that word means by now/

/Hn. Doesn't matter, Fox./

Kurama smiled to himself as he proceeded to tell him what Yusuke had just called him.

Hiei stopped dead in his tracks before he vanished.

"Oh crap."

Yusuke started screaming like a little girl as Hiei chased him around with his sword drawn.

"Kurama, help me!"

"Sorry, Yusuke. But, I can't hear you." He stated before walking away, making Yusuke scream even louder. Kurama smiled pleasantly.

XXXXX

"Why did you do it?"

Nadia looked up. She slipped the piece of burned meat into her mouth before saying anything.

"Do what?"

"Give yourself that scar." He asked as he raised his hand and ran his index finger down his own eyebrow, using it as a substitute for her's.

Nadia put her plate, a large leaf, to the side. She suddenly wasn't that hungry.

"… After I found out what I did… I couldn't believe it. I hated myself. I didn't even notice that I had scratched my face until I felt a drop of blood fall down my cheek."

"What did you do?"

The girl bit her bottom lip, almost hesitant to tell him now. She had never told anyone else what had happened. The only people who knew what happened were the ones who had found her and arrested her. But, he had told her what had happened to him. It was only fair. Besides, she could trust him, couldn't she?

"I destroyed a neighboring village and killed everyone there."

Akashi abandoned his own food and scooted closer to her.

"You know why I did it to my own village and people, but why did you attack them?"

Nadia drew a long breath.

"My village was destroyed while I was… knocked out, and when I woke up, everyone was dead. The only family I had was my mom, and I couldn't find her anywhere, so I just walked away; searching for her. When I went into the next village, I found a few women from my village that were chained up. The village I had walked into housed a large band of mercenaries, the same one's that had destroyed my village and taken our spoils. The same ones that had taken those women and were selling them as slaves."

Akashi watched her as she took a few more breaths before going on.

"One of the women called me over quietly and told me to leave, or else I'd end up like them, like my mother. She told me that my mother had been one of the women captured, and someone had already bought her. I was going to leave and find her, but someone saw me talking to them and grabbed me. They yelled at me, saying that I wasn't supposed to feed them or something stupid like that. That's when he noticed that I didn't live there, so he thought he could sell me off as a servant girl."

"I tried to run away. I screamed, kicked, and even bit him, but he wouldn't let me go. That's when more of them came over and thought it would be fun to teach me a lesson. As they chained me up, women and men from the village watched as they slapped me around and they just stood there, doing nothing to help me. When one of them tried to untie my skirt, I began… to cry. He yelled at me, but I couldn't hear him. I could only hear my mother's voice. I could picture her being taken away by these men, and them hitting her and trying to have their way with her… and before I knew it, I was screaming at them and telling them to stop hurting my mother."

She stopped and looked down at her hands as she wrung them together. 

"Go on." He whispered to her.

"I don't remember anything after that for awhile, just what I saw afterwards. I was on my knees, my hands covering my eyes. When I removed them, I looked around me, and began to cry again. It was dark, but I saw everything by firelight. The whole village was on fire, just like mine had been, along with blood and dead bodies lying face down into the dirt. I-I don't know how I did it, but I know it was me. No one else was there, even the women from my village were dead. I was the one still alive, the one with blood on my skirt and hands, the one who had a reason to do what I had done."

"I had killed them all, and I knew it was wrong. So… I just sat there and cried, holding my face in my hands. I only stopped when I felt blood run down the side of my face. I had dug my nails into my forehead and dragged them down, over my eyes and down my cheeks. This scar is the only thing that I have to remind me of what I did."

Just as she had comforted him, he did the same for her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her close to him, telling her that it was all right.

"How is what I did all right!" She almost screamed at him. She had pushed him away from her, her eyes glowing orange from the campfire.

"You were young, you didn't know what you were doing. They were hurting you! And no one tried to help you, you had every right to protect yourself." He fired back at her.

She wasn't buying it.

"B-but what about the women from my village? They only tried to help me, and look at how I repaid them!"

"You didn't know! If you had known what you were doing, then you wouldn't have touched them. But, you can't keep beating yourself up over this. You have to forgive yourself. You have to move on."

Nadia cried even more. She didn't try to push Akashi away this time when he held her, letting her cry into his chest. He kept on whispering to her that she should forgive herself and move on.

He never knew if she did or not.

XXXXX

"Okay, so where do we start looking?"

Kurama glanced over at Hiei, expecting him to know the answer.

/Don't look at me, Fox. That baby told me nothing./

Kurama sighed loudly.

"Well, we know that it was one of the demons Shizuma was dealing with. So… if I remember correctly…." He drew a blank.

Shit.

"So, you don't know either? Well, isn't that just great." Yusuke said in frustration as he placed his arms behind his head and just kept on walking forward.

"Haru." Hiei said.

"Huh?"

"The last slave owner that had the humans, that I know of." Hiei said.

Everyone turned around to stare at the little Goth.

"Y-you just said… a whole sentence." Yusuke muttered.

"Shit happens." Kuwabara said.

Everyone turned to stare at him now.

"What?"

Yusuke just shook his head.

'God, he's an idiot!'

"Whatever, so who is this Haru guy?"

Hiei just walked off in the same direction they had been going in.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"This way, bakas."

"…"

Kurama followed after him.

Yusuke muttered under his breath as he followed after the two.

Kuwabara shrugged his shoulders and trailed after all of them.

XXXXX

"Don't worry. I'll make sure that you are all okay. And when this is all over, I'll return you all to your homes." A deep voice said.

All of them listened to every word he said, wanting to believe him so much. They were scared, had been for weeks. Some of them were new and had only been in Makai for a few days, they were the ones that were frightened the most.

"W-will we have to… fight?" One of them asked.

The demon lord looked down at him, his eyes a cold, dark blue that were almost black.

"Of course not." He lied to them, a forced smile gracing his features. 

XXXXX

Thank you guys so much for the reviews, and not leaving me, that means a lot to me. This is for you guys.

love you all,

Robin


	7. The Village

Chapter seven

The Village

"So, where are we going now?"

Nadia looked back at Akashi, then back at her garments. The long cotton dress she had been placed in before her burning had been burned up to her knees, the sleeves torn and burned as well.

"Uh… we're looking for my mom, but I also need to get some other clothes."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

He sighed.

"Why are we getting you new clothes?"

"I'm wearing a dress." She said, thinking that that explained enough.

To Akashi, it did. He had never seen the girl in anything other than a shirt and pants. He looked her over, noticing for the first time that her leg had been burned. How had he not seen that before? He felt like an idiot. He wanted to slap himself on the forehead.

"Are you all right?" He asked her, indicating her leg.

She looked down at it. It looked... gross. But she couldn't feel it.

"It will heal." She said, distracted by the painless wound. Why didn't it hurt? Did she damage the tissue in her leg that badly?

Oh well, all she wanted were a pair of pants and shirt. She should probably dress like a guy anyway.

"Come on." She said as she spotted a sign up ahead.

XXXXX

He dropped the lower half of the man's body, and tossed his torso to the other side of the arena. The last two humans in the pit were screaming and crying, as they held onto each other for dear life.

The tall half demon walked towards them, licking at the blood on his elongated claws. He picked the young raven-haired girl up by her tunic and looked her in the eyes. They were a dark green and bloodshot from all her tears. She was pretty, for a human.

He threw her to the side and grabbed the older woman still kneeling on the floor. He wrapped his hand around her throat and squeezed until he felt the bones break and then heard them crack. He dropped her lifeless body as the crowd cheered.

The other girl was slowly backing away from him, and up against the wall.

He picked her up and carried her with him, announcing that she was his prize. Her screams were still heard even after the double wooden doors closed behind him, the crowd yelling for more entertainment.

A flash of amusement passed through those same, cold blue eyes that peered down at the dead arena grounds. He laughed to himself at the stupidity of the ningens that he had lied to.

_What foolish creatures_, he thought.

XXXXX

"Um… Akashi?"

The orange haired demon turned around to look at Nadia as she walked slowly behind him on the dirt road.

"Yes?"

"I've been wondering… what kind of demon are you?"

He smiled down at her as she came up beside him and they continued walking side by side.

"Hm. Well… I guess you could say I'm something along the lines of a morpher." He told her.

"Wait… if you can change your form, then why didn't you alter your appearance and escape from prison?"

Instead of giving her an answer, he turned around and took off his shirt. Her eyes outlined the thick and thin white lines that danced across his back and the back of his arms. Some of them were curved and swirled around each other, making tiny decorations run over his skin. And for the first time, she saw some of them swirling around the back of his neck. He pulled his shirt back on and faced her. She could see the scars clearly now on his throat. How had she not noticed them before?

"No matter what form I take, I always have those scars."

"Why can't you get rid of them when you change?"

"My jailer knew of my origins and had a monk bless a weapon that they used to carve into my skin. Whatever magic he used, I can't overcome it with my powers. It was a way to know who I was if I ever decided to try and escape. They actually cover my entire body when I try to change my form now."

"Did you ever try to, anyway?"

He nodded his head.

"Not all of those scars are from the weapon the monk blessed."

"Oh…" She said quietly.

They walked in silence the rest of the way up to the hill. The wooden sign that Nadia had seen earlier was now only a few feet away at the top. The sign indicated that they were about to approach _Azoth Village_ (1). Nadia looked down and suddenly stopped.

Akashi looked back at her and asked what was wrong.

She just stood there.

"Nadia?" He said.

She shook her head and gazed over the village again, noting that it seemed familiar, yet different at the same time. Why?

Akashi stared at her. She could feel his eyes boring into her and so; she walked down the hill, taking in the village as they came closer. He followed after her.

"So, where are we going to get the money for your clothes?" He asked her.

"Uh… I didn't really think about that." She answered truthfully, although she was distracted by the familiar surroundings. Her eyes passed over a few shops and then fell on a blank white wall.

Or what would have been blank years before.

The wall had one long chain attached to the side of it, pairs of shackles bolted all along the length of it that were melted into it. The chain itself was lying unused and badly burned on the ground. On the wall where it descended from were heavy black imprints of flames that had attacked it years before. The wall had obviously been washed and parts of the building it was attached to rebuilt.

Nadia did a double take as she turned to stare at the other buildings around her. Some of them bore the same scars as the one she had been staring at, while others were newer looking, as if they had been built a couple of years ago. And Nadia knew why.

She had previously burnt this village down. Or, she thought she had. Apparently though, she had left some of it intact.

Like the wall her mother and neighbors had been chained too. The very same wall she had been chained too; where it all started. A dull ringing started to thrum in her ears.

"Nadia?" Akashi said as he looked at her worriedly. Her eyes were blank, but her jaw was clenched shut. He saw the way her hands shook slightly at her side.

Akashi walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye.

"Nadia!" He said again, louder this time, getting the attention of some of the villagers around them, but not the one it was intended for. She couldn't hear him. All she could hear were her own screams from all those years ago. She couldn't even see him, as she saw the whole village turn back in time, back to when she was a small girl.

Nadia didn't answer him as her eyes turned a steely black.

XXXXX

Azoth is actually another name for the Philosopher's Stone in Alchemy.

Damn, that has got to be one of the shortest chapters I've ever written. That's pretty sad. Oh well, my story, my chapters, they can be as long or as short as I damn well please. Anywho, hope you liked those… few paragraphs and I'll try to get something up as soon as possible.

Later,

Robin


	8. Reincarnations

Chapter eight 

Reincarnations

"If they're already gone, then I don't see how coming here will help us. Why can't Koenma track them down another way? This is pointless!" Yusuke grumbled as they walked through the forest.

They had already gone to the village they had been in, and had discovered nothing about the missing ningens. The only thing that happened was that Hiei accidentally let his hand slip, with his katana in it, and sliced Shizuma into thirteen pieces. After the 'accident', all the guards ran from their posts and either attacked the gang, or fled. Most of them were smart enough to flee while they had the chance. Unfortunately for them though, that left them with a small army of slaves that had no owner, and no guards to keep them in line.

Let's just say, Koenma was not a happy camper.

A few hours later, and they were on their way to the neighboring village. However, they stopped halfway when they smelled smoke behind them. Hiei turned around first to see a large chain of black smoke rising in the air. It was coming from what they thought was another village a bit East of where they had just been.

Hiei had already turned back around to continue walking in the direction they were going in, when Yusuke and Kuwabara suddenly screamed.

"Holy shit! Look at that!"

"They might need our help." Kuwabara suggested.

Hiei just glared at them.

Before Kurama could say anything, the pair of them had run off towards the fire. Kurama and Hiei just stood there and stared at each other for a few minutes before the redhead shrugged and followed.

Hiei made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat as he followed him.

XXXXX

Fire started to rise simultaneously on the cottages and stores of the village, as Nadia kept her gaze on the ground. Her hand was raised, a small black flame curling around her hand and onto her wrist. It seemed to sear into her skin and leave behind a black mark. But if you looked closer, you would be able to see the black lines curving and trailing off in a long arc that twisted around her wrist from the top of her hand to the middle of her forearm.

Screams were coming from all around her, but she couldn't hear them. Akashi was yelling at her to stop, but he couldn't get close to her with everyone running around them. A man ran into Nadia, almost knocking her down. Seconds on impact, his body went up in flames, incinerating completely before crumbling to the ground. She didn't even look at him.

Akashi stood there, dumbfounded. What was he going to do?

XXXXX

Before Hiei entered the village, he could sense it. That dark presence, the one that he had felt in Nadia the last time he saw her. Was she there? Did she cause this?

If so, then Hiei wanted to see first hand what she was really capable of.

He dropped out of one of the trees he had been jumping in, and landed down a few feet away from a sobbing girl. She was maybe a few years older than Yusuke. Hiei barely glanced at her, but he saw that she was curled up near a small cottage that was about to collapse.

_Foolish girl_, he thought. Although he didn't make any move to save her. Instead, just as the wall was about to fall on her, Kurama appeared and grabbed her. He gave Hiei a 'look' as he put her down out of the way. She hadn't stopped crying.

"Aren't you helpful."

"Hn." He was too busy looking around for the cause of the fire to give him a sarcastic answer. In a matter of seconds, he found the lone still figure in the middle of the village. Dressed in a burnt white gown, hair hanging in a wild manor down her back was Nadia, her face completely hidden by her hair.

"I don't recall seeing that seal on her before." Kurama muttered almost to himself.

Hiei then noticed the black design running around her wrist and the back of her hand. He had never seen anything like it before, but knew she didn't have them when he first met her.

What could it be?

Once the seal on her arm was completely drawn, it pulsed, sending a shockwave through the village. Everyone was blown off his or her feet. Hiei and Kurama were the first ones to regain their balance. But after the shockwave left, all the flames engulfing the town turned black. The few demons that had tried to put the flames out with water gave up as the flames roared even higher than before. Water wouldn't be able to put them out now.

Yusuke placed himself in front of Nadia, his finger pointing at her as he drew energy into his spirit gun. Kuwabara was trying to get the villagers out of their burning homes, Akashi helping him. Kurama ran to help a fallen old man, while Hiei remained where he was, intent on watching Nadia.

A blue ray of energy shot straight at Nadia. It disintegrated right in front of her bowed head. She slowly raised her head, her eyes staring straight at Yusuke. The detective took a step back at the look in her eyes. They were colder than Hiei's.

Yusuke was thrown back by an invisible force into the forest surrounding the village. He didn't move.

An uneasy feeling settled in Hiei's stomach as he saw her eyes. He had never felt like this before. He had never felt fear. But this wasn't fear. This… this was something else. And what in the hell had she done to the detective?

Something was about to happen, but he couldn't even break into her thoughts to see what was going on with her.

The marking on her arm started to pulse again, but instead of sending a shockwave, it swirled around her arm, making it a black blur before it unwound from her arm. It dropped to the ground and began to move in all directions, as if it were a flame being attacked by air on all sides.

Nadia's wings unfurled from her back and flapped a few times before the dark mark flared up in one direction and darted into the air. It was going north. She rose up into the air and followed after it.

The black fires started to die down before completely disappearing into nothingness.

XXXXX

Miles away, in a clearing full of mutilated bodies, a fair haired demon stood with his back straight and his blue eyes watching the curved black mark on the ground thrash about. It went straight before it jumped up into the sky, followed by the demon that had sprout his white wings.

XXXXX

On Earth, a tall girl of nineteen rose into the air with a pair of black bat wings. Her pure white eyes followed a dark mark that was heading towards a portal that opened up moments earlier. She trailed after the mark that disappeared into the portal. It closed right after her.

XXXXX

On the other side of Makai, an undersized boy with light brown hair and glowing green eyes shot up into the air with his black tipped white wings. The black mark that had just left his body shot into the direction opposite he had been going in. But that didn't matter. His purpose in Makai, after all these years, was about to be fulfilled. He just had to meet with the other Original Element reincarnations.

XXXXX

A loud beeping brought the attention of the Kuwabara, who ran towards Yusuke. He dug into the boy's pocket for his communicator. When he opened it, he was greeted with a very pale and sick image of Koenma.

"Come back immediately. All of you." He said in a quaky voice.

"Why? What's going on-" Koenma cut him off.

"Just get here as fast as you can. I'll explain when you arrive." With that said, he ended the transmission.

Kuwabara closed the communicator and looked over at Kurama, who had followed the orange haired ningens. The fox started to make a portal.

"I wonder what that was all about." He mused out loud.

Kurama and Hiei shared a look.

"I think it has to do with what just happened now." Kurama said slowly, as if he was thinking to himself.

"What? Why?" Kuwabara asked.

"I don't know exactly." The redhead said as he stepped through the portal, the rest of the gang following after him, Yusuke thrown over Kuwabara's shoulder.

XXXXX

Okay, I honestly had NO idea how I was going to continue this story. Then, I picked up a book on alchemy and I got the perfect idea. You guys might not like it, but I'd have to say that this is the first story that I actually know how I want to finish. Somewhat. I don't know what chapter it will be on when it ends, but it won't be much longer. I hope you guys like it. It's an idea I've certainly never seen.

Robin


	9. Resistance

Chapter nine

Resistance 

Yusuke sat in one of Koenma's chairs, his back hurting like hell. He had never felt anything like what had happened before. It felt as if a wave of fire had crashed into his body, going right through it, and taking his breath away. Of course, that's basically what happened. Except it was so strong that he had blacked out from lack of air.

Now, the three of them were sitting across from Koenma, Hiei in his usual spot by the windowsill. He didn't look any better from when Kuwabara had answered the communicator. If anything, Koenma looked worse.

The toddler took a deep breath before answering all the stares and one glare he was getting.

"The girl, Nadia, that set that village on fire is more than just a demon. She's one of the reincarnated souls of the original elemental demons. Over a million years ago, before this world and the Netherworld fought over Earth, there was another world that had four demons banished to it. Tsuihookai." (1)

"They were the original elemental demons of Makai, but they were more powerful than any elemental demon that exists today. Every youkai that controls an element is a descendant of the four of them. Their powers aren't even half of what theirs are."

Hiei glared at him even more if possible.

"Why were they banished?" Yusuke asked.

"The Originals have what is known as the Secret Fire concealed in them, otherwise known as the fifth element. _"Quintessence is a thing that is spiritual, penetrating, tinging, and incorruptible, which emerges anew from the four elements when they are bound to each other."_ (2) If they come together and combine their powers into one being, then their powers could destroy Makai, Ningekai, and the Spirit World. If they destroy the spirit world, then there is no way to reverse what damage they do to the other two worlds. Humans, demons, and spirits will be erased from history for all of time."

He stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.

"We had to banish them because they tried to create the fifth while they were in Makai. But we weren't strong enough to destroy them. So, we had to make a barrier powerful enough to keep them from trying to create it. That barrier just happened to be another world, but it looks like they managed to break through it and come here."

"So… is Nadia the only one that's back?"

Koenma sighed, his eyes looking red and tired.

"No. The other three have been living in both Makai and Ningekai for the past nineteen years, and just a few moments ago, they had the same reaction as Nadia. They got their full powers restored to them. We don't know how they got here, but they made it somehow and now they're going to try and create the fifth element."

"Why today?" Kurama asked.

"Well… in simplest turns, they were born on this day. They were all born the same day, same hour; everything about them is in accordance with the other. The only thing that is different about them is the way they look and their element, obviously."

"So, what do we need to do?" Yusuke asked.

"The four of you need to go and destroy one of them. It doesn't matter whom it is, but if one of them dies, then they can't make the fifth. The other three may return to normal, or they may try to kill you. Do what you have to do to stop them."

XXXXX

Nadia dropped down to the ground, her eyes automatically locking onto one of the other demons on the cliff. He had blonde hair that fell into his blue eyes, almost blocking them out completely. She nodded towards him.

The dark mark that she had followed trailed back up to her arm and rested in its rightful place. A gust of wind rushed by, blowing small snow flakes into Nadia's hair.

The boy stared at her as the tall redhead next to him gazed at her. Her white eyes looked her over as another demon landed beside Nadia. All four of them stared at each other before they raised their right hands, their wings folding back into their backs. The dark marks glowed a faint red before they flared brightly.

All four of them watched as the marks grew longer, trailing over the whole extent of their arm. Any material of their clothes that covered up the mark were burned off as the mark continued to twirl around to the front and back of their necks. They just stood there as the mark finally stopped on the side of their faces. The mark's glow began to fade away, leaving the black design once again.

Nadia formed a black flame in her hand, as the blonde demon next to her drew up a small whip of water. The redheaded girl drew both of her hands together, forming a ball made of air. The last demon that arrived, the short brunette boy named Taran, made a fist with his hand. When he opened his hand again, a chunk of dirt lay in his palm.

The redhead, Aure, brought both of her hands together, crushing the air in between her hands. The air took on a light gold color, as it appeared to turn into liquid, falling from her hands and onto the ground in front of her. Dax, the blonde boy, let the snake of water in his hand slither to the ground. It touched the gold air and also changed to the same color. Nadia's flame fell to the ground as the brunette's dirt dropped as well. They each touched the already gold elements and changed their color as well. The four elements burned a bright amber before they swirled outside of the four demons.

Dax and the rest of them stood still as the combined elements formed a circle around them. Then the yellow light came back inside the circle and formed a star. When the light grew fainter, they saw that the elements had formed a pentagram on the ground.

Aure intertwined her hand with Dax's, the other with Taran's. Nadia grabbed the boy's other hands and held on. The dark mark on Nadia's skin glowed a faint black, as Taran's burned green. Aure's glowed white as Dax's blazed a bright blue. Each of them had their eyes closed. Their marks pulsed in beat with each other's. A small barrier started to form over their heads and traveled down to the ground, keeping the wind and snow away from them.

But before it touched the ground, a small shower of blue spirit energy sprang up from the ground and hit them. The pentagram they had formed now had gapping holes in it from where Yusuke's shotgun had penetrated it.

The four demons had let go of each other's hands and now looked towards the group of Spirit Detectives. Hiei had his sword drawn, while Kuwabara had his spirit sword shining brightly. Kurama removed the rose from his hair and let it crack into his thorned whip.

Dax charged at Yusuke, both his hands forming orbs of water as Aure unfolded her wings from her back and rose into the air. She hovered over Kurama for a few seconds before soaring down and attacking him with invisible blows of wind that knocked him back. Kuwabara got into a fighting position as Taran's glowing eyes turned towards him. The boy didn't move.

The ground under Kuwabara's feet started to crack and move apart, making him jump around like an idiot as he tried not to fall into the crevice. Nadia watched Hiei as he stood in front of her, his sword pointing at her. She didn't move, nor did Hiei. But a strong wave of heat started to build up around them, the snow melting all around. The heat became hotter by the second, making the fire youkai sweat.

What was going on? It was just fire. It shouldn't have this kind of effect on him.

The same invisible force of fire that had knocked Yusuke out earlier started to surround Hiei on all sides. He could feel it rising and growing stronger, but he couldn't absorb the fire; it was too strong. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was so hot that it felt cold at the core. Hiei was sure he was about to suffocate if he didn't get out of the small barricade she was making around him.

Before he could move though, four long whips of black fire raced towards him. Two wrapped around his wrists, while the other ones coiled around his ankles. He struggled against them, but they only tightened in response. He was lifted into the air and brought closer to Nadia until they were face to face.

"It's no use, Hiei."

The spiky haired Goth looked at her questionably as he heard her speak. It was still her voice. Did that mean that this was really she? This was how powerful she is?

"Nadia?" He questioned doubtfully. He had to remind himself that he didn't care either way if she was still in control or not. He still had to kill her, no matter what.

"Don't worry, little one. It's still me. I've just… become enlightened, I guess you could say."

Hiei's eyes narrowed at her. He was not little. Nadia stared him in the eyes, his glare amusing her.

"Your powerful, Hiei. More powerful than most fire youkai."

Hiei just stared at her, the bindings around his body slackening with each word she uttered.

"I don't want to hurt you, Hiei. But this needs to be done." She told him, her voice leaving no doubt.

If he were anyone but Hiei, then he would have said something stupidly heroic like, "So you can destroy humankind?" Or "To take over the world?" One of those cheesy, the end of the world, but I'm still a smart ass who's going to talk his way out of this, kind of line.

Something Yusuke would say.

Instead, he just made his usual noise. Then, Yusuke's voice piped in. The stupid heroic saying that needed to be voiced.

"Oh yeah, well what if we don't let you?" He yelled at her, even though he was right behind Hiei. He had apparently taken down his opponent, or so he thought. A large dragon of water swished around him, melting the snow beneath it as it coiled around his body. Yusuke was soon submerged in the water, tiny bubbles popping out of his mouth.

Kuwabara was about to be crushed in between two mountains of dirt and rock, while Hiei just watched. Kurama evaded a punch thrown at his stomach, but the air surrounding the girl's fist had enough force behind it that when she missed, the air rushed at him with increasing speed. He fell to his knees and coughed up blood.

The bindings around Hiei disappeared, but he didn't have a chance to attack as a strong wave of heat surrounded him on all sides. It lapped at his skin, making him sweat. He felt suffocated once again, but this time it was worse. He couldn't breathe, could barely see. Hiei coughed profusely as he sank to the ground, the last thing he saw was Nadia towering over him, her hand outstretched.

"Go to sleep, Hiei." Her voice whispered through the pain. Then everything went black.

XXXXX

The four demons once again joined in a circle. They repeated the process for a second time, taking their time, as they knew they would not be interrupted this time.

As the pentagram beneath them burned brightly, the four of them were lost in the light. The gold brightness seemed to rise up in steam as they were all combined. The ground around them cracked apart as the light grew. It bleed into the faults of the rock and seeped into the sky. With a burst of bright beams, the light closed in on itself until it hummed in on one figure.

Long wispy white hair that fell down to their knees, dark gray eyes, and black wings sprouted from their back. They were feathery, but at the top were large claw like talons that curved forward. Water wrapped around their body like ribbons, forming a long dress in shades of white to light blue. A black mark on each arm running over each side of the neck and ending at each cheek was a dark turquoise color.

The creature's eyes glanced over to the side and saw two bodies. She walked over to Hiei and Kurama, the only two left, and drew her finger in. Their bodies lifted and floated towards her. When Hiei's face came close enough, she breathed lightly over him, disturbing some of his hair.

The Goth opened his eyes and blinked surprisingly at her.

"You don't have to worry, Hiei." The voice said. It sounded like Nadia… but slightly deeper and more mechanical.

"Nadia?"

The girl before him gazed at him as she ran a finger over his bandana. Hiei tried to pull away, but found his whole body immobile.

"Don't resist me." She told him firmly.

Hiei just struggled even more. One of the bands of water slithered from her arm and enclosed around his wrist. Hiei's eyes started to droop as he felt the energy being sucked out of him. His head hung limply as the water left him and was replaced by one of Nadia's hands.

"I want you, Hiei. You and only you. No one else. And I will have you, no matter what. So, will I have to take you by force or will you come without causing any trouble?"

Hiei stared at the ground. The snow flakes seemed to disappear around them. No sounds, except for the wind came rushing into his ears. His eyes felt heavier now as an invading heat stroked his skin. It was different from before. It wasn't suffocating or unbearably hot. No, it was almost comforting… and arousing?

The thought of being with the demon in front of him didn't bother him so much anymore. As he tried to come up with reasons why he should have a problem with it, he found himself caring less and less about those reasons.

A hand on his chest brought him out of his slightly fuzzy thoughts. His eyes opened lazily, though when he closed them, he had no idea. Gray eyes stared up at him. He didn't turn away from that stare even as her face came closer to his own. Lips brushed over his own and he didn't fight it. Something in him told him that he wanted it… that he shouldn't resist her anymore. It was supposed to happen.

Nadia broke the contact, but kept her mouth inches from his own.

"Will you come with me?" Her breath ghosted over his lips and he found an answer on his tongue without even thinking about it.

"Yes."

XXXXX

Yo… it's been awhile, hasn't it? hehehe… just got Internet, so please don't kill me. Um… once again, my muse has taken over the keyboard and locked me inside my closet. I have no idea what she's writing… but I'll just go with it. I have no idea where this story is going to go now. Dammit… anyway, it'll come to me in class sometime. Hopefully.

Anyway, review if you want more. I'm completely serious about this too. If I don't get any kind of response, then how do I know if people are even reading my work? Let alone enjoying or hating it? if you think it's harsh for some authors to withhold chapters until they get reviews, then you might as well leave now. Cause I'll do just that if I don't get any kind of response. Writing is supposed to be for fun, but if I just wanted to do it to please myself, then I wouldn't post it. I want to know if I'm making anyone else happy or whatever with what I write, so even if you're just saying, 'it's crap' or 'update soon', then I'll be happy.

Thank you to all of you that do review and leave me critical comments and ways of improving my writing, I really do appreciate that. If I could give out a reward for that, then I would.

Robin

1) Tsuihookai- exile or banishment- I just added the Kai

2) Melville, Francis. The Book of Alchemy. London: Quatro, 2002 pgs. 74-75


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